Bernard Schoenburg: IDOT reorganization’ troubles ring a bell

It seems a little familiar that Springfield lawyers DON CRAVEN and CARL DRAPER are representing employees being laid off in a “material reorganization” at the Illinois Department of Transportation.

As attorneys for Teamsters Local 916, Craven and Draper said this week they are seeking to protect their members who have 55 of the 58 jobs that ERICA BORGGREN, the acting IDOT secretary, said last week would be abolished as of Sept. 30.

Those positions are “staff assistants,” and the way they were hired into the title, avoiding Rutan anti-patronage rules, came under intense criticism in a recent report from the Office of Executive Inspector General.

Craven and Draper argue it’s not fair to fire people in the jobs when it was higher-ups who did the hiring in those categories, even though work performed by most of the 58 is not policymaking and thus should involve Rutan-covered positions.

Well, back in 2004, the administration of new Democratic Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH did a “material reorganization” that ousted people including holdovers from the Republican administration of Gov. GEORGE RYAN.

Craven, Draper and a Draper law partner, HOWARD FELDMAN, represented 16 of those people in a federal civil rights lawsuit, and it went to trial in Peoria. After verdicts came back in favor of the workers — in 2011 — the case was settled, the jury verdicts were technically vacated, and all 16 people either went back to work or were otherwise compensated.

Meanwhile, Craven said, another 14 people had their cases go to arbitration, and, while it also took years, they all got their jobs back or were otherwise compensated as well.

An interesting part of the latest go-round is that in the federal case that was tried in Peoria, one of the defendants was MIKE STOUT, who is former head of traffic safety for IDOT, and IDOT’s chief lawyer at the time was ELLEN SCHANZLE-HASKINS.

In the new situation, one of the jobs that Craven and Draper are trying to protect is that of CORI PICKETT, who is Stout’s daughter, and another is that of ELIZABETH HASKINS of Effingham, who is sister-in-law of Schanzle-Haskins.

Also interesting here is that governors in both cases — Blagojevich and PAT QUINN — are Democrats, and Craven has a history with the party. He ran as a Democrat for state representative in 2002 against Rep. RAYMOND POE, R-Springfield, but got just more than 40 percent of the vote.

Craven and his father, JIM CRAVEN, a former 4th District Appellate Court judge now living in Bellingham, Washington, were also lawyers for plaintiffs, including RUDY DAVENPORT and former Ald. FRANK McNEIL, in the voting rights lawsuit in the late 1980s that changed Springfield’s form of government from commission, with five people elected at large, to aldermanic, with 10 aldermen elected from wards plus the mayor forming the city council.

Don Craven, who lives in Gardner Township, said that, though he still is a Democrat, he voted in the Republican primary for the first time this spring.

“I don’t remember any contested elections on the Democratic ballot, and I had some interest in some races on the Republican side,” he said.

As for taking on Democratic governors in the IDOT cases, he said, as a lawyer he has the luxury of taking on cases he wants, “and I find these interesting.”

Meanwhile, his eldest son, JOSEPH, 24, is set to graduate from Baylor University Law School in Waco, Texas, in February, and there’s a good chance he’ll join his dad’s practice.

“Don’t you think Springfield needs a third generation?” Craven asked.

Big names raise money

Both candidates for the U.S. House in the 13th Congressional District were given some fundraising help by national figures this week.

U.S. Rep. RODNEY DAVIS, R-Taylorville, had a private fundraiser Monday in Chicago with New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE as the draw.

“Congressman Davis is honored to have the support of a strong leader like Governor Christie — someone who knows how to win in a blue state and someone who knows how to work across the aisle to get things done,” said Davis spokesman ANDREW FLACH.

Christie is now chairman of the Republican Governors Association and was also stumping in the Chicago area for gubernatorial candidate BRUCE RAUNER.

Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden was also in Chicago raising money for congressional candidates, including Davis’ opponent, ANN CALLIS of Edwardsville.

Callis was “honored to receive the support of Vice President Biden, who shares her desire to help the middle class through raising the minimum wage and ensuring women have equal pay,” said Callis spokesman DAVID MIYASHIRO.

He also took a swipe at Christie, calling him the “literal king of gridlock” because of the controversy in which traffic jams near a Fort Lee, New Jersey, bridge were blamed on lane closures apparently ordered by Christie staff and appointees at the time.

The Davis camp opted not to comment on Biden, who also appeared with Quinn.

Both Biden and Christie are considered possible 2016 presidential contenders.

Borgsmiller retiring

RUPERT BORGSMILLER, who has spent 38 years with the State Board of Elections and has been its executive director since 2011, is retiring at the end of the year.

A Murphysboro native and graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Borgsmiller, 62, said he loves his job, has a very good staff, and works for a bipartisan board that has allowed him and his directors to get the job done.

“It’s just time for me to let … somebody else have some fun,” he said.

What does it take to oversee the staff and run elections statewide?

“You have to be a rather patient individual,” Borgsmiller said, while keeping the public involved and staff motivated.

During his time with the board, its headquarters moved from the Spring Street location where it had been since the 1970s to a much more spacious office at the Town & Country Shopping Center along MacArthur Boulevard.

Borgsmiller has also seen great leaps forward in technology. One example, he said, is that after a ballot is certified, as it was last week, paper copies used to be printed and sent to election authorities across the state. This time, they were emailed.

But there’s a lot of work to do getting things in line both for the Nov. 4 general election and next spring’s elections, he said.

Borgsmiller is paid $130,104 annually.

He said he believes the board will “look strongly at the internal candidates” for a replacement. And, he noted, members have the ability to look outside as well.

Borgsmiller and wife, THERESE, who has a part-time job with Benedictine University at Springfield overseeing people doing student teaching, have two children and one grandchild. He said he looks forward to a less structured schedule.

“If we need to take care of a grandchild, we can,” he said. “If we want to travel, we will.”

Information

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The State Journal-Register ~ Street address: One Copley Plaza (corner of Ninth Street and Capitol Avenue), Springfield, ILMailing address: The State Journal-Register, P.O. Box 219, Springfield, IL 62705-0219 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service